Travel Photography with Goran Jovic

Goran Jovic is an award-winning photographer, reporter, personal trainer, professor and cameraman from Croatia who’s constantly traveling around the world, recording life stories of indigenous people from far away countries. Some of his missions are also humanitarian, as he tries to help the tribes in need through his volunteer work.

After spending a few years capturing regional subjects and scenery, he wanted to challenge himself in the field, and so he joined a mission to Tanzania with an aid association. Looking back at that time, he feels that this decision was an instinctual compass which reinforced his desire to do this type of photography.

On his journeys, Goran has visited the “hidden” gems of this beautiful planet, trying to show more faithfully the way of life of the cultures unknown to most of us.

Read more about his interesting journey as a travel photographer and an adventurer.

Interviewer: You’re a professor, personal trainer, reporter, photographer – did I miss anything? 🙂 How did you start as a travel/documentary photographer? What was your motivation and inspiration to start traveling the world and capturing life of the less-known cultures?

Goran: It was an ordinary winter morning when my friend gave me a camera and that is how my story began. I am always nostalgic about the places that I haven’t visited yet, I’m happy because of the cultures that I am about to meet. Simply said, I am a man who accidentally discovered that art and the unknown have an energy that I can’t resist.

Interviewer: If we take a look at your work, what stands out are amazing photos of African and South American tribes. Could you tell us more about your experience of capturing life, culture and everyday moments of these people? How does it feel to eat, sleep and spend time with people who are in so many ways different from our cultures?

Goran: It’s a thriller, it’s about discovering them but more than that it’s discovering yourself. l had the best food sometimes and yet not felt comfortable, but l also had the worst food and been the happiest person on the planet.

Interviewer: It seems that you really connect with the people you photograph and become close to their way of living during your stay. How much has travel/documentary photography changed your lifestyle in general and how do you feel about it?

Goran: Yes, the key word is connection and good energy, this is my travel and life philosophy. Documentary photography is my passion because it requires you to predict the unpredictable and to always be surprised by the development of certain situations and events. Later you bring that experience to your daily life.

Interviewer: What has been your favorite destination so far and why? What are your most memorable experiences from that journey?

Goran: There is no favorite destination, there are moments, happiest, saddest…in my case both at the same time. I was leaving an orphanage after four days of working there, and one of the kids called me ”Baba”. I asked the meaning of the word to the person next to me, and she told me it meant ”Dad”.

Interviewer: If you’re enjoying what you do, the financial part is not that important. However, we all have to earn a living to be able to do the things we love. 🙂 So, the less popular question but certainly something that our audience would like to hear: is it possible to make a living from travel/documentary photography?

Goran: It’s not going to be easy when you start. Not even later, but if you put a lot of effort and your heart into your projects you can make a great career.

Interviewer: What were your techniques to find your first clients and to be able to take part in all these exciting projects? How vital was the role of marketing when you first started?

Goran: Marketing is of course very important. l had the ”luck” that the clients are finding me.

Interviewer: What are your top three pieces of career advice for beginners in travel photography?

Goran: I would give them one advice. Always slow down and use all your senses, because there is a possibility that something unique is going on behind your back and you have to feel it.